This content was published: July 30, 1999. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC's Williams Returns to Board Chair Position
Photos and story by James Hill
On July 15, a longtime member of PCC’s Board of Directors, Harold Williams, returned to familiar territory.
The Portland-area businessman, community activist and avid supporter of the college became the board’s newest chairman again. Williams served as the entity’s chair on one other occasion (1993-94) during his nearly 10 years of service as a board member.
Williams, who most recently served as board vice chair, replaces Norma Jean Germond, who finished her one-year term as board chair in July. Germond will remain a member of the board in Zone 1, which includes Lake Oswego, Tualatin, Tigard and Sherwood.
Joining Williams in a leadership role is board veteran Karen McKinney, who has served for more than 12 years in Zone 7, which includes Hillsboro, Newberg, Forest Grove and nearby cities. McKinney is the board’s newest vice chair.
Williams has been the Zone 2 representative which includes North Portland and Columbia County, St. Helens and Scappoose since he was appointed to the position in 1990. He was elected to the seat in 1991, and re-elected in 1995 and 1999.
In his life away from PCC, Williams is the president of the consulting firm CH2A Associates. He has been a labor relations manager and an equal opportunity coordinator for the State of Oregon. Williams also served as affirmative action director for former Oregon Gov. Bob Straub. In addition to those professional accomplishments, Williams is a member of the Black Leadership Conference, the Urban League and has served on the board of the Oregon Community College Association. He has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Portland State University. He is a resident of Northeast Portland.
McKinney, voted to the board chair position twice and its vice-chair seat once before, has been on the PCC Board of Directors since 1987. She has been a member of several state and local boards and committees, including an appointment by then-Gov. Vic Atiyeh to the State Health Coordinating Council. This former educator in the state of Indiana and in Oregon has a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University, and has done graduate work at Ball State, the University of Oregon and Portland State University. McKinney is a resident of Hillsboro.
The PCC Board is made up of seven members who collectively govern the college’s 1,500-square-mile district, which includes all or parts of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill and Columbia counties. The board of directors sets policy and approves the budget for the college’s multi-campus system.
Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution of higher learning in the state, where nearly 86,000 students attend annually. PCC operates three comprehensive campuses Sylvania in Southwest Portland, Rock Creek Campus, located between Beaverton and Hillsboro, and Cascade Campus in North Portland. The college also operates four training centers in central Portland, Southeast Portland, Northeast Portland and in Beaverton. In addition,
PCC offers life-long learning and customized career training in more than 150 metro-area locations.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »